Donation drive nets 1,600 pounds of food for Crisis pantry

Godfrey resident wins TV as prize for participation

Scott Cousins, scousins@s24532.p831.sites.pressdns.com

Published
10:45 pm CST, Thursday, December 29, 2016

Alton Refrigeration owner Bill Crane, left, guides customers Rick Powell, right, and his son, Josh, center, both of Jerseyville, as they were selected at random to draw the winner of a new 60-inch television set at the business on the Homer Adams Parkway Thursday. The TV, donated by Alton Refrigeration, went to the winner of the food drive contest, which benefits the Crisis Food Pantry in Alton. less

Alton Refrigeration owner Bill Crane, left, guides customers Rick Powell, right, and his son, Josh, center, both of Jerseyville, as they were selected at random to draw the winner of a new 60-inch television ... more

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Alton Refrigeration owner Bill Crane, left, guides customers Rick Powell, right, and his son, Josh, center, both of Jerseyville, as they were selected at random to draw the winner of a new 60-inch television set at the business on the Homer Adams Parkway Thursday. The TV, donated by Alton Refrigeration, went to the winner of the food drive contest, which benefits the Crisis Food Pantry in Alton. less

Alton Refrigeration owner Bill Crane, left, guides customers Rick Powell, right, and his son, Josh, center, both of Jerseyville, as they were selected at random to draw the winner of a new 60-inch television ... more

Donation drive nets 1,600 pounds of food for Crisis pantry

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ALTON — More than 1,600 pounds of food were collected for the Crisis Food Center in Alton, someone from Godfrey won a free television set for their donation, and Josh Powell, of Jerseyville, was able to give it to them.

Bill Crane, owner of Alton Refrigeration and Home Furnishings, is a volunteer at the food pantry and a new board member, and helped organize the drive. He also donated a 60-inch Samsung flat-screen television to be raffled off. To be eligible, someone had to donate four cans of food.

Powell was in the store with his father when he was asked to pull a name from the basket.

“Just happened to be in here at the right time,” his father, Rick Powell said. “It’s pretty neat. Somebody’s going to win that big TV. I think it’s pretty exciting for him, he likes doing things like this.”

The winner was a Godfrey resident. Their name had not been released because contest officials were trying to contact them Thursday.

About a dozen local businesses participated in the food drive, which culminated in a drawing for the television late Thursday morning.

“I just think there’s a huge need in the community,” Crane said right after the drawing. “Seeing the people that come in there, they are extremely appreciative of the help they get. It’s not something I’m sure they want to do, but they need the help.”

Nick Kessinger, daily supervisor for the Crisis Food Center, said these kinds of food drives can be very important.

“Most of our donations come around the holiday season, just before Christmas and Thanksgiving,” he said. “They go out pretty quick.”

Most of that food will be gone by March.

“It’s donations like this that help us continue to have food after March, into April and May,” he added.

The center serves about 450 families. Kessinger said recently there seems to be an increase in senior citizens seeking aid.

“A lot of that has to do with prices going up, and their Social Security is not going up,” he said, adding the numbers have increased “noticeably” in the past few years.

He said much of the reason for the high need is the sluggish economy, and that there seems to have been some improvements recently. He noted that an uptick in construction has eased some of the pressure on the food pantry.

He said the Crisis Food Pantry and others are important because they can help people “from sinking deeper and deeper into poverty.”

By helping them with food, people are able to pay other bills like rent and utilities.

“We’re trying to help people who get behind,” he said.

The food pantry is located at 21E. Sixth St., Alton. For information call 618-462-8201 or visit www.crisisfoodcenter.org.

Participating businesses in the food drive included TheBank of Edwardsville, Cope Plastics, Alton Physical Therapy, Metro Fitness, Village Inn, Kay Jewelers, Shop ‘n Save, Mungenast Alton Toyota, Roberts Motors and Princivalli’s Café. Crane said he was thankful for all the other businesses that participated, and hopes to make it an annual event.

“One business by itself is going to have limited success,” Crane said. “I’m thrilled they all helped out and hope that they all will again next year.”